August 10, 2011

Miracles

On July 16th a few good friends and I hosted a baby shower for our dear friend, Susan. My house was so full of people that I had to use the theme (a French picnic) as an excuse for why many guests had to sit on the floor. It was so apparent that day that Susan is so loved. I had bought this print for Susan, not just to show her how much we love her, but also because it seemed like the perfect message to send to her future child. Susan and her husband, Stephen, had been waiting for months to adopt a baby girl, and she was due to be born any day. That little baby was bound to be so very loved.

Stephen and Susan had gone through a lot in the adoption process--ups and downs, worry, excitement, fear, and finally relief. When Abigail came, we passed her around, cuddled her, and marveled at her pretty black hair. Abigail means "father's joy" but the smiles on both of her parents faces were so big--it was one of those moments you want to pause forever.

Then, just a few days later, Abigail was admitted to Children's Hospital with a virus that threatened to complicate multiple functions and organs, including her lungs, heart, and kidneys. It's been over 10 days, and while Abigail's body has been fighting, she continues to need critical life-saving care...and lots of prayer.

In fact, Abigail needs a miracle. Please pray for her, and her family today.

I've been learning how hardit can be to pray for miracles. It's hard because doubt, fear, and frustration creep in so easily, and their noise distracts us from our conversation with God. But at the same time, I really think that all God wants from us is our trust when we pray. He can and does perform miracles. So today I'm going to fill my prayers for this family with hope and faith, knowing that even when some things seem impossible, God says that with him, all things are possible.